The Weight of Us
by Storm Clouds and Stars
Summary: Nick and Jess are most definitely nothing more than friends. That ship had sailed a long time ago. Except for the fact that, you know, both of them are completely in love with each other. But they're working on it. Nick/Jess.
1. One Time Thing

**The Weight of Us**

**Here it is, my multi-chapter! I'm hoping that I'll finish the majority of this pretty soon, so I won't keep you guys waiting. Please note the fact that this is an M rated fic and will be a little bit dirtier (especially this chapter, you'll be thrown in at the deep end!) than my other New Girl stuff. Eh. **

**This follows Nick and Jess (in the near future, hopefully) after they've broken up, and are trying to adjust to their new found roles in one another's lives. This chapter ends a bit angsty but I can only promise that this story will inevitably have a happy ending, because I'm a sucker for these two idiots, hehe. **

**Hope you enjoy the ride!**

* * *

_**'Nick and Jess are most definitely nothing more than friends. That ship had sailed a long time ago. Except for the fact that, you know, both of them are completely in love with each other. But they're working on it.'**_

* * *

"Nick?" Jess asks quietly, and he grunts against her skin.

"Yeah, Jess?" Nick murmurs, kissing along her collarbone, nibbling at an already pink kissed piece of flesh on her shoulder, delighting on the gasp it elicits from her. Her fingers dance up his body and rest on his chest, and Nick, sensing what was coming, quickly moved to kiss the tender spot behind her ear that he knows drives her insane.

"N-n-nick," Jess gasps, screwing her eyes up tight, trying to gain some self control, but Nick's stupid but oh so wonderful tongue was doing insane things to her rational train of thought. Breathe, Jess. Remember how your lungs work. Air is good.

"Nick." Jess opens her eyes and pushed lightly on his chest, causing him to lean back from her. Jess gnaws on her lip as she took the sight of him in, all big brown eyes that look confused but so sexy and stupidly stupid ruffled hair (Jess feels a sense of pride that she was the one that made it look so ridiculous) and it takes all her self restraint not to just smash her mouth on his and render her previous intervention pointless.

"One time thing, right?" She asks as she creeps nearer to him, toying with the hem of his shirt and looking him boldly in the eye.

"Sure, Jess. One time thing." He smiles, pulling lightly at a loose strand of her hair.

"This means nothing to me." Jess sighs as Nick's wonderful, magical, fantastic, amazing tongue (did she mention Nick had a great tongue?) licked a path across her collarbone and up the side of her neck and she fisted his shirt between her fingers, suddenly too aware there were way too many layers between them.

"Me either. Absolutely nothing." His breath is hot against her skin and Jess' eyes roll back into her skull as he nibbles at her earlobe, sending all of her thoughts cuckoo banana crazy. His mouth was pretty great, too. Second to his tongue of course.

"We're friends. Frieeeeeeeeeeends." The end of her sentence comes out as a kind of squeal because Nick's inched his hand under her pyjama bottoms and was dangerously close to where she wanted him to touch her the most. Nick laughs and it's so hot and dark and low that Jess feels her lady parts clench in anticipation, and woah nelly this has elevated quickly.

"Jess." Nick removes his hand and mouth from her suddenly and Jess mewls in protest, opening her mouth to protest at his actions because damn she was so twirly and it was partly his fault having that stupid face that made her stomach do flip flops. Damn Nick Miller and his face. Damn him.

"Shut up." He laughs, kind of serious, and Jess furrows her brow in indignation about to protest when his mouth crashes against hers again and his hand slips once again into her pyjama pants, grazing her inner thigh and all arguments die in her throat.

Damn Nick Miller.

Damn him.

Nick trails his mouth from her lips down her jaw and neck and kisses down her pyjama shirt over every tiny button and Jess groans in anticipation at his actions, arching her body toward him and begging him to remove her of the stupid article of clothing. (What is even the point of shirts anyway?)

"Someone's impatient." Nick smirks against her skin and Jess lets out a little huff of frustration, debating on whether to just rip the damn shirt off herself to let his lovely mouth have access to her aching skin already.

"Shut up, it's been a while, okay?" Jess grumbles, and Nick lets out a gruff laugh, bringing both hands to toy at the first button of her shirt. Impatience growing, Jess pulled open the button herself, and Nick's eyes darkened dangerously.

"Forceful."

"Don't pretend you don't like it." Her voice is teasing, and Nick leaned down to kiss the smirk off her face hard, moving to quickly unbutton the rest of the little buttons of her pyjama shirt, and releasing the last one with a relish her grinned wolfishly. As quick as a light his mouth was on her, kissing across her chest and oh my oh my oh my. Jess tunnelled her hands through his hair (she loves his hair almost as much as she loves his mouth and oh his wonderful tongue that was tracing patterns across her stomach and oh my god) and clutched his face to her. Her whiskers tickled her delicate skin and he giggled, causing Nick to pull away from her and regard her with a crooked brow.

"Why are you laughing?" He asks and she giggles again at the turtle face.

"It tickles." Jess blushed under his gaze, suddenly very aware she was half naked beneath him. This most definitely must change. She toyed with the hem of his shirt and chewed on her lip, eyes wide and blinking up at him. "Nick, take your shirt off."

Nick sat back on his haunches and regarded her amusedly, before slowly slipping her shirt over his head, throwing it over his shoulder. Jess sat up and pulled her face back to his, tongue sliding past his lips and into his mouth, delighting in how their naked chests felt pressed up together. She forgot how much she liked skin.

Fingertips danced across his chest, revelling in the feel of him, tracing contours of the muscles in his chest that clenched under her touch, causing him to suck in a breath. Nick moved his mouth from her to continue its assault of her neck and Jess sighed contentedly.

"You've been working out," Jess comments as she notes his more pronounced stomach muscles, the way his cookie pooch seemed to of reduced significantly. Nick's mouth curved against her neck in a smile.

"Thanks for noticing," Nick grins, moving his hands up an down the side of her body, causing her to shudder. Pushing him back off her she lay down on the pillows behind her and crooked her finger at him, and Nick grinned, crawling up her body. He delicately moved to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled down at her, and Jess cursed at the butterflies that erupted in her stomach at the sight of his smile. Friends. Friends. Naked friends.

Nick moved to trace her over her panties but Jess shook her head silently, grabbing at his wrist.

"No Nick, I need you. Now." It came out slightly more desperate than she had hoped, but she was far too lost in the way his dark eyes grew even darker as he nodded numbly, twining their fingers and kissing her knuckles. Jess fixed her gaze with his as she moved to undo his belt and pull down his pants and boxers, and he hooked his fingers around her panties and pulled them off her body.

Then, nobody moved. They just looked at each other for too long with their entwined hands resting at either side of her head, heavy breaths mixing together in the silence.

"Nick?" Her voice sounded small.

"Yeah, Jess?"

"Kiss me." He brought his face to eyes and kissed her hard, swallowing her gasp as he slid into her watching as she arched her body closer to his. She began to rock her hips against his, protesting at his lack of movement, and her name tumbled from his lips like a prayer. He gripped her hips to keep her still, pressing their foreheads together and kissing the tip of her nose.

"Nick, please." Nick's eyes sprang open at her plea, and he kept his vice like grip on her hips strong as he drew back and slammed into her, drinking in her breathy sigh. As her hips created a rhythm with his he kissed every inch of her face: nose, lips, cheeks, forehead, eyelids. As she drew closer to her release, she became more vocal, combining his name with god and yes and please and harder and it was nearly enough to send him insane. When she finally came, she let out a quiet scream, arching into him so that her mouth was next to his ear, and she gasped out.

"Oh, oh Nick. I've missed you."

* * *

Hours later and the rising sun had painted a pink glow around the walls of his room, and Jess lay wide awake, tracing patterns on his chest. Nick had fallen into a deep sleep hours ago, Jess could tell by the way his chest rose and fell and his eyelids fluttered with dreaming. Sighing, she decided it would be better if she was gone when she woke up, so she threw on her discarded clothes, padding to the door quietly.

"Jess, come back to bed you doofus." Nick grumbles from his position in the tangle of sheets, and Jess winces as she realised she'd been caught. Damn it, Day, you need to work on your sleuthing skills. Turning to look at him, she stuck out her hip and put her hand on it confidently.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Nicholas?" She questions primly, raising her eyebrows. Nick just turtle faces.

"Of course it it. My bed is cold and you are warm. Now, come here." Jess sighs at his words but returns to his bed anyway, snuggling into his embrace. Rolling over to look at him she puts on her best serious expression, causing Nick to sigh heavily and slink back into the pillows.

"Out with it, Jess. What's up?" Jess sat up slightly and twiddled with Nick's bedding, picking at a loose bit of thread, eyes downcast. Realising something was actually wrong Nick sat up slightly, lifting her gaze to meet his with a gentle tap under the chin.

"I think we're doing it wrong, Nick!" Jess says, and Nick nearly chokes on air.

"What? Doing what wrong? Because I don't think you can have sex in any..."

"Not sex. I'd say we're doing the sex pretty well, wouldn't you?" Jess winks at him and elbows him lightly in the stomach conspiratorially, causing him to groan in embarrassment. He was sleeping with a girl that did theatrical winks, god help him.

"This. Us. This 'Friends With Benefits' thing. We're doing it wrong!" Jess says dramatically, and Nick turns to look at her questioningly.

"How?"

Jess huffs, and sits up straight, crossing her arms across her body. "Well, first off, I'm pretty sure we're supposed to 'bang'," She air quotes bang and Nick cringes, "Then one of us are supposed to leave. In this case it would be me because we did the deed in your room. Get it?"

"But, I know how much you like cuddling, Jess..." Nick starts, but Jess interrupts.

"That's the point, Nick! You're not supposed to know that!"

"Jess, you were my girlfriend for a year! Of course I know that!" Nick barks back at her, exasperated.

"Maybe that's why we're doing it wrong!" Jess shouts, eyes wide. "We're too complicated, me and you. First room-mates turned friends turned couple turned friends turned friends with benefits? There's not supposed to be any strings, and I feel like we're living in Gippetto's freaking workshop!"

"So, what? You want to end it?" Nick asks quietly, and Jess turns quickly to look at him.

"No. Yes. No. Oh, I don't know!" Jess groans and flops her face dramatically into his pillow. Nick runs a hand lightly up and down her spine in a comforting manner.

"We're a mess, Jess." Nick laughs tiredly, running a hand down his face. "But I don't know if I can be without you." Jess sits up abruptly, shocked by his honesty, and finds herself blushing under his intense gaze. A smile tugs at the side of her mouth. "Why can't we just try it? One day at a time."

"As what?" Jess asks, hugging her knees to her chest, and Nick shrugs.

"You know me, I'm Nick Miller, I'm too cool to put labels on things." Jess laughs at the memory and Nick grins at her, tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear.

"Friends. Let's be friends Nick. And not of the naked kind." Nick kind of feels like he'd been punched in the gut but he managed to keep his expression neutral at her words, but his hand stilled with it's comforting motions on her back. "I don't know how I'll ever be able to move on from you, if all I'm doing is having a lot of fantastic sex with you all of the time."

Nick nods glumly and swallows past the lump in his throat, as she gets up from his bed and stretched languidly, heading toward his bedroom door stifling a yawn.

"Schmidt and Winston are going to know about this, aren't they?" Jess asks, pausing at the doorway. Nick nods.

"You were never one to voice your satisfaction quietly, were you Jessica?" Jess blushes and throws a pillow at Nick's head which he catches.

"Night, jerk." She smiles at him a little sadly and pauses just before she leaves his room, turning to him with her mouth open as if she was going to say something, before apparently deciding against it, instead choosing to shoot him a tight lipped smile.

"Night Jess." Nick whispers quietly at the closed door, cursing at his own stupid cowardice at not telling him how much he really didn't like the idea of them being friends at all and how he didn't care if she never ever moved on because if he didn't have her then no one else could either. Punching his pillow angrily into shape he screwed his eyes up tight and tried to block out the smell of strawberry scented shampoo and vanilla perfume that seemed to of taken up residence in his sheets.

Damn Jessica Day.

Damn her.

* * *

_**Please, review! Incentives will make me write faster! (Does anyone actually buy that? Probably not.)**_


	2. Crying Over Spilt Milk

**The Weight of Us**

* * *

**Aloha. I'm back! How fantastic was New Girl this week, am I right? I totally knew Jess was going to kiss him and I had a mild freak out when she said shut up Nick and DARN YOU SCHMIDT, DARN THE VERY BONES OFF YOU. Also thank you for your very kind reviews, they are so so appreciated I literally cannot explain, you guys are my writing fluffers, am I right? This chapters only short but I thought I'd tease you all with a bit of Nick and Jess' break up story, mwahaha. All of which will be revealed, in due course! Please don't hesitate to let me know what you think!**

* * *

Nick grunted as harsh beams of sunlight cut through his curtains, dragging him from his land of rather restless sleep with a fierce bump. Digging his fist into his tired eyes, he sighed miserably. Jess. He could still feel her. The way her skin felt under his fingertips and tasted under his tongue. She was like this constant presence he could never seem to shake off. And, frankly, it drove him nuts. Staring up at the cracks in his ceiling, he sighed. Typical Nick Miller, letting the best thing he had in his life slip away from him, yet again. Way to go, buddy. Collect your prize.

Dragging himself to the kitchen, Nick had a face set like thunder as he poured himself a cup of black coffee, slumping down at the kitchen counter and resting his head in his hands. To door to Jess' room was closed and Nick could hear her shuffling about behind it, humming along to some dumb Disney movie she forced him to watch with her (okay, so maybe he wasn't forced but come on the girl had freaking magic glowing hair, he was hardly going to pass up that offer) and Nick stared hard at the glossed wood, hoping it will remain shut until he'd finished up his coffee and managed to navigate back to his room. He really couldn't be doing with seeing her right now.

But, alas, it seemed the world wasn't feeling so kind. Her door burst open and Nick cursed into his mug of coffee as she appeared at the doorway in a pretty blue dress that made her look so god damn perfect his hands clenched into fists to prevent him from charging over there, putting her over his shoulder and telling her that she could go to hell with all this talk of 'just friends'. Breathe, Nick. Remember to breathe. Noticing him she stiffened slightly, before softening her features into a soft smile.

"Hey, Nick." She grinned, moving to pour herself some cereal.

"Mornin' Jess." Jess breath hitched just slightly at the way he said her name, but she masked it with a cough and moved to put the cereal back up onto the shelf and retrieve the milk from the fridge. However, just as she turned with the already open milk carton Nick chose to stand up from his stool, resulting in her banging into his chest and splashing milk all up his shirt.

"Nick, I'm-"

"It's okay, Jess."

They were way too close. Nick's hands had grabbed hold of Jess' wrists in an attempt to slow the momentum of her banging into him, and her gaze was directed down, at where the milk had soaked into Nick's shirt, meaning that her head was tucked just beneath Nick's chin. The air became suddenly much too thick. Almost instinctively, Nick released his grip on Jess' wrists and settled his hands on her hips, his thumbs tracing circles under the fabric of her pyjama top, causing her to gasp quietly. Her gaze lifted just enough for them to make momentary eye contact and Nick dropped his head just far enough forward to rest his forehead against Jess'.

"Nick, you've got milk on your shirt." She breathed.

"I don't care, Jess." Nick murmured.

His mouth inched ever closer to hers, and, losing patience, she reached up and smashed their lips together, sighing in contentment. In her enthusiasm to kiss him, Jess forgot about the carton of milk she was holding, and dropped it to the floor. The splattering noise and sudden splash of cold liquid up the back of her calves was enough to snap her out of her reverie. Pushing him away, she gasped and put a hand over her mouth, eyes wide in panic.

"Oh my god oh my god what am I doing?" She whispered to herself, taking in the image of Nick in his milk stained shirt and red kissed lips. Bustling past him with tears brewing in her eyes, Jess made a desperate flee to the bathroom, ignoring the frantic shouting of her name from Nick. Picking up her phone, she desperately pushed the buttons and waited for the rings to subside, trying to calm her frantically beating heart.

"Cece, can you do lunch? It's kind of important."

* * *

"You slept with Nick again, didn't you?" Cece asked over her cup of coffee, expression turning from bored to mildly amused as Jess' already larger than average eyes got even wider, as she choked on the bite of her sandwich. Spluttering, Jess flapped her arms around wildly, trying to clear her windpipe and avoiding her best friends eyes. Internally, Jess cursed, and not the mild PG rated swears that she used, but really dirty, bad, kinda evil swearwords. The smug, knowing expression on Cece's face deserved it, she reasoned.

Knowing someone for as long as Jess had known Cece had it perks, sure, like Jess could basically walk into Cece's house and take up residence if she wanted, and the model would be sure not to even bat an eyelid. Or, she could call her at three in the morning crying hysterically and Cece would be at her apartment minutes later, with a tub of Cherry Garcia ice cream making a phone call to a guy she used to date who had connections with the Mafia, ready to kick whoever ass it was that had hurt her.

But then there are instances like this, where Jess kind of wished Cece wasn't her friend at all. She'd learnt how to read her too well. Jess may of dated Nick for a while, lived with him every day for three years, but she was sure that if there was some weird, intergalactic alien game show about her life where the contestant who knew the least got blasted by a laser, Nick would be blasted to smithereens if he was put against Cece. As Jess' coughs subsided she chanced at glance at Cece, who was watching her as she daintily sipped on her cappuccino, and Jess blushed.

"Are you done?" Cece asked, amusement lacing her tone, and Jess sat straight in an indignant manner, flipping her hair over her shoulder and picking at her sandwich.

"Yes, thank you." Jess snapped back, refusing to meet her best friends gaze. Sighing, Cece shifted so she took both of her best friends hands in her own and Jess moved to look at her in question, surprised by her sudden show of affection.

"Jess, again, seriously?" Cece's tone wasn't accusatory or judgemental, instead it was almost sad. Jess blushed and tried to avert her gaze but Cece snapped back. "Hey, eyes up here!"

"Yes, okay! I slept with him! And no I don't know what it means and no I don't know why I did it. Okay?" Jess' eyes pleaded for understanding and Cece squeezed her hands and offered her a tight smile to show her concern, and Jess grinned back. "With him, I don't know! It's complicated."

"I don't get it, I thought you were over him?!" Cece questioned, and Jess shrugged.

"I am! I am so over him I can like barely see him in my peripheral vision. Like, he is a dot to me in the horizon of life, a drop in the ocean of..."

"Jess." Cece cut her off with a knowing look and Jess sighed heavily, admitting defeat.

"I don't think I'll ever get over him, Cece." Jess sniffed sadly, and Cece felt her heart soften at her best friend's sad eyes, slumped shoulders. "Stupid dumb Nick Miller making me fall in love with hi stupid dumb face and..." Jess grumbled as she took a bite of her sandwich, and Cece laughed.

"Babe, if you're in love with him, why did you end it?" Jess noticeably stiffened at Cece's question, her eyes going wide and her mouth pausing in chewing the sandwich. Swallowing heavily, she looked at Cece with a tearful expression.

"Please don't make me tell you Cece, I really just... can't. I'm sorry." Sitting back in her chair, Cece crossed her arms across her body, sighing heavily.

"Jess, you've got to put a stop to this. It's not good for you! Sleeping with your ex, I mean who does that?" Cece started but stopped hastily at the flash in Jess' eyes. "Okay, I do that but it was Schmidt for goodness sake!" Jess laughed a little at that and the sides of Cece's pretty mouth curved into a smile upon seeing her best friend happy, she missed the Jess that used to smile all the time. She hadn't been the same since she'd ended it with Nick.

"I did, I put an end to it last night." Now it was Cece's turn to laugh, and Jess' expression furrowed slightly. "Hey, I really did Cece! I told him we were just going to be friends!"

"I'll believe that when I see it, babe." Cece smiled, flipping her hair over her shoulder, knowing of Jess' weakness when it came to a certain flannel clad bartender. Jess smiled meekly. Standing up Jess shrugged into her pink button up as she paid the bill for her dinner, slinging her bag over her shoulder and raising her hand in farewell.

"I best take off, see you Cece." Jess said sadly, turning to leave.

"Jess!" Cece shouted after her and Jess spun around in confusion. "Be careful." Cece wasn't sure what she meant exactly, but she just couldn't seem to shake an awful feeling or foreboding for her best friend's predicament. Cece had always been the protector in Jess' life, the one that kept her safe and scared away all the big bad monsters that threatened to invade Jess' land of rainbows and cupcake sparkles. But now, this thing with Nick, it was a mess that Jess had got herself into that only she could resolve. Jess seemed to understand her friends warning and grinned in a tired kind of way that really didn't suit her delicate features at all.

Watching her leave, Cece sighed. Picking up her phone she texted with fierce speed, an idea formulating in her head. Perhaps she couldn't fix the situation for Jess, but she sure as hell could try her hardest to make it easier.

* * *

**If you leave me a review I can promise Nick and Jess will kiss next episode. What, no of course I'm not lying... **


	3. Dirty Dancing and Douchebags

**The Weight of Us**

* * *

I know I suck so bad it's ridiculous. I am so so sorry and I'm just going to let you know I appreciate every one of you that have waited for this! Here goes.

* * *

"This is a really, really bad idea." Jess sighed, running a hand down the skirt of her flirty red dress with a forlorn expression. Cece narrowed her eyes and paused in her application of lipstick, jutting out her hip and regarding her friend with judging eyes.

"Who was the one that told me she wants to move on from Nick?" Cece asked, and Jess worried her lip between her teeth, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I did." Jess mumbled quietly. Setting down her make up brush, Cece moved to sit next to her best friend on the bed, bumping shoulders with her in a way that expressed her affection. Jess sniffled slightly as she lay her head on her best friends shoulder, brown curls tumbling forward, Jess catching one and twisting it around her finger nervously. Obviously, Cece has been trying to help in the enormous, dirty Nick Miller related mess she had somehow created for herself, organising a girls night out with the promise of hot guys and an abundance of alcohol. Jess should be excited, invigorated at the prospect of finally, finally moving on and starting afresh with someone new. The butterflies that erupted at the sound of the doorbell ringing on the first date, the unexpected texts, the getting to know one another over coffee. It should of acted as motivation for her to pull herself the hell together already and put herself out there again. She'd done it before, hadn't she? Spencer was nothing but a hazy memory now, her life had changed in ways she could never of believed since him.

So now, why the hell was it proving so difficult?

She was kidding herself if she didn't know the answer. Nick Miller had done some serious, painstaking damage on the old sentimental heart of hers, and every time she thought about moving on, blamo! There was his face, in all of it's rumpled glory, seared to her eyelids.

"I'm scared, Cece." Jess mumbled into her shoulder and Cece patted her arm comfortingly, almond eyes round and caring.

"That's natural, Jess. This is a big deal." Jess nodded numbly and stood up, brushing down her skirt and casting a long, hard gaze at herself in the mirror. Nodding, she turned to face Cece with a hesitant grin on her face, blowing on her fingertips as if they were pistols.

"Let's go get 'em partner." There was the gnawing again, deep and persistent deep in her gut. Forget Nick Miller, Jess. You can do this without him.

* * *

_Flashback..._

"_Jess, stop having eye sex with Nick across the bar! It's giving me a migraine." Schmidt barked abruptly and Jess started from her reverie, breaking the rather fierce battle of aforementioned eye sex with Nick and blushing down into her drink. Schmidt continued his disappointed appraisal of her with squinted eyes, and Jess blushed even more deeply, before getting a little flustered. _

"_Jeeze, Schmidt, will you stop already! It's my boyfriend it's not as if I'm some eye sex slut monster that totally gets it on with every pair of corneas I see." Schmidt blanched slightly at her phrasing, as Winston snorted. _

"_I knew when you two started dating nothing good would come of this, our very home has turned into a brothel of stinking lust and fornication, every room desiccated... Yes, I heard you two lovebirds in the shower together the other day!" Jess flushed at Schmidt's disgusted gaze. "Unacceptable, thoroughly unacceptable, and furthermore..." _

"_What's unacceptable?" A gruff voice interrupted and Jess felt the corners of her mouth turn up in glee at the sound of it, heart erupting into fluttery butterflies that made her feel appropriately woozy. A strong hand rested on her shoulder and Jess spun around to catch Nick's eye, his gaze warm and becoming, and she smiled softly. Schmidt huffed loudly._

"_Oh, nothing Nicholas. Simply commenting on your and Jessica's seemingly uncontrollable, some may say primal, urges. I mean honestly I sort of expected this from you, Jess, and you excitable temperament but-" Schmidt was once again cut off by Nick, this time however, it was derived from the fact that he had tilted Jess' head towards his and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. Schmidt watched the pair, somewhat transfixed, his face contorted into a look of great displeasure. Pulling away from Jess, slightly breathless, Nick cast a smug look at Schmidt over his shoulder._

_Winston, whom had remained quiet up until this point, puffed up his cheeks before expelling the air from them, rubbing a hand down his face tiredly. "Wow! I should be getting paid for this, man." Jess blushed and bit her lip as Nick slid into the booth next to her, slinging one arm over her shoulder. Reaching for his fingertips, Jess tangled their digits together, resting her head on his shoulder tiredly. _

"_You done now, Schmidtty boy?" Nick asked, voice dripping in sarcasm, as Schmidt huffed indignantly into his drink, muttering something about horny teenagers and wandering hands as Jess turned her face and giggled into Nick's chest. Her heartstrings tightened considerably as he bent his head close to her ear and, whispering, told her how beautiful she looked that night._

* * *

The grip Nick had on his bottle of beer was so tight it was turning his knuckles a shocking shade of white.

He was aware of angry voices shouting at him, asking for drinks, waving their hands in his face, but his gaze was centred solely on the woman in the middle of the room, dark hair whipping around her pale skin, glowing neon under the strobelights.

Even though the dance floor was dimly lit and packed to the brim with people, he could still see her through the haphazardly yet rhythmically moving bodies. Among the throngs of writhing people, pretty girls and drunk guys (the bar had decided to keep up Nick's 'guy's night', making it a monthly event, but with the persuasion of Jess it had become a party night too, with free entry for women, to keep both parties satisfied) Nick's gaze didn't divert from the one girl whom everyone else seemed to be centred on. Jessica Day. So as he stared from the bar, looking up from his drink through dark lashes, at Jess' glossy hair dancing a paso double just a few yards away, there was no one, not the angry voice of his boss or the frustrated voices of customers, that could break Nick from his trance. His only occupation was to watch her, swaying her hips and tossing her head back as in though in the throes of ecstasy.

Nick didn't know what had happened. Could this girl, this seductive creature that swayed and gyrated, that was downright dirty dancing in the middle of the packed bar with hoards of (Nick cracked his knuckles at this) horny young men desperately trying to reach her, touch her, dance with her, be Jess? His Jess? The girl who, when asked to be a slutty shot girl, came dressed as someone fresh out the cast of cabaret? The girl who this morning was slouching about the loft in pink pyjamas with little chicks on them? He looked up from his beer and groaned slightly as he noticed some joker put his hands on Jess' hips and use them as a metronome.

"She's not your girl to look at like that any more, Nick," A voice sounded over his shoulder, and Nick snapped his gaze up to meet the determined eyes of Cece, who was leaning against the bar sipping daintily on her drink. Pulling a turtle face and dragging his gaze away from Jess, albeit reluctantly, Nick slammed down his bottle of beer and picked up the bar cloth, buffing the counter top with considerably more force than necessary.

"Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it." Nick grumbled angrily, noticing how Jess had begun to dance with the douchebag that had been leering at her earlier, and, worse, she looked like she was enjoying herself. Nick jumped a little in surprise as he felt Cece lay a comforting hand over his forearm, and lean forward over the bar just slightly to whisper in his ear.

"You're good for her, Nick. I know you don't think you are, but... You're good." Squeezing slightly in a comforting manner, Cece walked away with one last small smile directed at him, and Nick stood, a slightly dumbfounded expression gracing his face as he watched her retreating figure. What the hell did that mean? He was good for her? With an uncomfortable gnawing at the bottom of his stomach, Nick gulped the last of his beer and let Cece's words swirl around his head, the alcohol and confusion he was feeling making him appropriately woozy. If there was one thing that Nick Miller was one hundred percent sure about, it was that he was never good enough for a girl like Jessica Day. He still swears she runs on liquid sunshine, if she ever scraped her knees there would be rays of light that erupted from her, or perhaps champagne flumes of bubbles, effervescing like glitter. She was a princess, a real life princess, good and true and oh so very beautiful, on the inside and out. A princess, apparently, Nick thought as he watched her, could also grind her hips like a pro.

There was some dumb Christina Aguliera song playing through the speakers, loud and obnoxious and with the kind of drum beat that gave Nick a headache (he really, really wished he was back at the loft right now watching some romantic comedy of Jess' and desperately trying not to reach out and fiddle with the ends of his hair), and Nick hadn't been really paying attention to it until he caught Jess' eye, just for a second, and (with a look in her eye Nick could only describe as pure evil) she mouthed along with the song, her eyes never leaving his.

_'Wanna get dirty, __i__t's about time for my arrival.' _

Oh, shit.

The creepy guy was still trying to dance with Jess despite her obvious attempts to shake him off, and Nick watched with some amusement as she became more and more flustered with his incessant hip jerking in her direction. Suddenly, the vixen Jess was gone, and normal Jess returned, all awkward elbows and panicked eyes and stepping on peoples toes. Nick's fists clenched once again as Jess broke her gaze with him, leaning over to the douche and whispering something in his ear. Nick relaxed, however, when he realised that she was simply telling him she was going, pointing over to where Nick stood.

Then, a lot of things happened at one.

Butterlies erupted in Nick's stomach as Jess turned to walk over to him, this determined look in her eyes. Douchebag grabbing on Jess' arm and pulling her back to him. The scared look in Jess' eyes. Douchebog shoving his mouth on hers. Red. Red. Red.

The next thing Nick knew, he was pushing a very drunk guy backwards with a force he didn't know he possessed. Casting a look over his shoulder to check on Jess, he observed as she stood stock still, her eyes wide and her hands covering her mouth.

"What the hell, man?" Douchebag asked, as Nick rounded on him, his fists clenched at his sides. Nick resisted the immediate urge to put the kid in hospital, and desperately tried to calm the blood that hummed through his veins.

"Don't touch her." He snarled, stepping closer to the boy, who had picked himself up off the ground. Nick could see the kid looking between himself and Jess, who still hadn't moved, before moving to get near her again.

"We were just getting to the good part, weren't we sweetheart?" The kid sneered, and Jess whimpered and cowered behind Nick's form, and the last thought that crossed Nick's brain was how damn _scared_ she looked, before he thought nothing at all.

Fist connected with face as Nick sent the Douchebag flying, breath coming out in shallow gasps. Turning around, Nick was met by a white faced Schmidt with his arm around Jess, who was openly sobbing in his shoulder. The bar had gone quiet and Nick could only hear his own breathing, coming out in shallow little gasps, and the soft sobs emitted from Jess, muffled by Schmidt's suit.

"Take her home, Nick." Schmidt said, quiet and serious and not at all like himself. It made Nick's head hurt. "I'll sort things out here." He gestured with distaste at the sprawled out douchebag on the floor nursing what looked like a broken nose, and Nick nodded mutely, eyes still fixed on Jess.

"Sweetheart, let's go," Nick murmured to her, reaching and twining their hands. Nodding mutely, Jess stumbled forwards on her high heels, Nick stooped to catch her, hands tight on her waist. Looking up at him with watery eyes, Nick felt Jess' breath gust across his face in shallow gasps, and he offered her a small smile as he tugged on her hand, but she seemed (whether due to the excess of vodka cranberries she'd drunk or the adrenaline from the attack of the Douchebag he couldn't tell) unable to out one foot in front of the other. As Nick noticed this, his eyes narrowed and he regarded her for a minute, as if deciding something.

Jess let out a gasp as she felt her world go horizontal and all blurry for a minute (ok, so maybe it was the vodka cranberries), before she found herself looking up into the face of Nick Miller, all serious and dark and looking at her. Her side was pressed up against his chest and his arm was secure under her knees, the other wrapped around her lower back. Then they were moving through the crowd, and Jess kept her gaze fixed on this point in Nick's neck where a nerve was jumping, and she resisted the urge to totally sink her teeth into it (yes, definitely the vodka cranberries, and a little bit of the cologne Nick was wearing because _damn_) and instead choosing to nuzzle that spot with her forehead, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Jess, you're going to have to stop that." Nick choked out a little, turning on a side to manoeuvre past a gang of girls. Jess lifted her head from his neck, a look of confusion on her face.

"Why?" She pouted, and Nick laughed.

"Because I'm finding it pretty hard to see straight as it is, right now." He huffed, and shifted her a little in his arms, bringing her even impossibly close to him. She instead rested her head against his chest, blushing a little at the (longing?) glances shot at her from women throughout the bar.

"They're jealous." Jess commented, nodding in the direction of a group of women looking at her scathingly, and Nick chuckled.

"What?" He commented, glancing down at her in confusion.

"We're totally doing The Bodyguard right now." Jess sighed, and continued with Nick's confused expression. "The Bodyguard? Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner?" Nick shook his head and Jess gasped, smacking him lightly on the chest.

"Nicholas! It's like ever girls third most fantascised about movie scenerio ever." They were outside now, the cool night air drifting across Jess' pink tinged cheeks, cooling her down.

"What's one and two?" Nick asked, setting her down gently and moving to reach his keys. Jess smiled up at him, straightening her dress.

"Number two" Jess said, lifting up a finger, "Is the pottery scene from ghost. Sooooooo hot." Nick smiled a little and crooked an eyebrow.

"Really? Isn't it a bit..." Nick shrugged. "Messy."

"Shut up, Nick! It's romantic." Jess said, before continuing. "Number one, obviously, the lift from Dirty Dancing."

"Dirty Dancing, huh?" Nick was lent against the door of the car, grinning slightly, before a smug expression came over his features. Dropping the keys in his right hand, he jogged so that he was directly in front of her, arms held out wide. Jess felt her breath hitch a little in her throat at the sight of him, and she let out a loud laugh as he crooked a finger toward her, in a come here motion.

Kicking off her shoes, Jess laughed and ran up to Nick with her arms wide. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!" She yelped, jumping into his outstretched arms, her momentum causing them to both tumble over, laughing hysterically. They landed in a heap on the floor, Jess on top of Nick's chest, their giggles echoing throughout the otherwise quiet car park.

"Nicholas Miller, did you just try to Dirty Dance me?" Jess laughed, resting her chin on her crossed arms as she gazed up at him through her bangs, suppressing a shiver as Nick gently brushed the hair from her eyes.

"Why Jessica, it seems I did." His voice was low and it made Jess' stomach erupt into fluttery butterflies.

They lay there for a while silently, gazing up at the stars, warm in one another's embrace.

"Take me home, Nick." Jess whispered after a while, quiet and broken against his chest. Nick gulped and quietened the voices in the back of his head that were telling him to stop being selfish, to let her get on with her life and stop clinging to her like she was supposed to make him better. But Cece's words from earlier reverberated around his head, 'you're good for her'. And Jess was looking at him with these eyes that were wide and pleading and full of, what? Love? And who was he to deny her? He was sick of fighting himself, sick of accepting the fact that he wasn't enough. Pressing a kiss into her hair, Nick stood up and offered her hand, pulling her up and into his chest.

"Of course, Miss Day."

* * *

**Please let me know what you think! I can only promise the next update will be faster than this one, right?**


	4. Manic Pixie Dream Girls

This story was originally going to be abandoned. Then I received a review on it the other day and it sparked something inside of me to get my act together and finish the damn thing! I'm writing furiously as we speak. The plot is a lot clearer in my head so hopefully updates will come a lot faster. This is only a short little thing and boy is it angsty. I was trying to get some of Nick's thoughts across, and hint a little bit to their break up story (which, don't worry, will be told in full!) Also partly the inspiration I got for this comes from something I read the other day about Manic Pixie Dream girls that really struck a chord with me.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**The Weight of Us**

* * *

_if we loved again i swear i'd love you right_

As it turned out, Jess was significantly drunker than Nick had first anticipated.

The first tell tale sign of her aforementioned inebriated state was the numerous attempts it took to get Jess in the car. She was having a hard time putting one leg in front of the other and seemed to have forgotten that car doors worked on a 'pull only' mechanism ("Looooooooooook Nicholas!" She giggled, wrestling with the door. "Doors hate me toooooo!") Nick watched the display with some amusement before he decided enough was enough and he scooped her up once again in his arms. (He totally pretended to miss the way she whispered 'never put me down' into his chest. Jess was super weird about displays of manliness. Ask her, whatever.) He laid her down on the back seat, taking a step back and sighing. As he moved to close the door Jess reached out and grabbed his hand, tugging him forward so that he almost landed on top of her.

That led to the second sign that Jessica Day was completely wasted. She got clingy.

"Come on, Jess. Gunna drive you home now to the land of big fluffy pillows and pyjama outfits." Nick said gently, easing his arm out of her iron clad grip. Jess pouted and tugged harder. Nick set his jaw.

"No, Jess. Let go." It was a said a bit firmer this time and Jess' eyes widened significantly, out of shock or sadness Nick didn't know. He certainly didn't take time to find out. Wrenching his arm out of her hold he moved to the front seat of the car, the muscle in his neck jumping. He wondered briefly if that's how it was always going to be, her begging him to take a chance, to just be with her, and him being the damn chicken he is, always turning her down. He felt the ache of the weight of possibility between them increase as he started the ignition, wondering if he' ever be the man she thought he could be.

He doesn't know what it was about her.

Perhaps it was the way the way her face moved, forming lines and shadows and creases and folds that translate like a language he can understand. Happy, sad, angry, scared, Nick had learnt how to read her like a book. Or perhaps it was the way her eyes widen when she looked at him, just slightly, like she could see way more of him than everyone else could. However, if you asked him directly and he'd tell you that he simply couldn't resist a damn pink robe.

Fundamentally, however, there was something about Jessica Day that makes Nick Miller want to be brave. He thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel, listening to her low breathing in the backseat and gazed at the traffic lights, waiting for them to change colour.

There was a dark red glow cast over the car from the lit up stop sign, and in the mirror he can see the way it made stripy shadows across her face. In the back of his mind, Nick noted how it made her look different, almost dangerous. He let out a low chuckle, at the words Jess and dangerous being used in the same sentence.

The light flickered to amber, and lit her up. It started on the day that is the start of them. Sure, he'd been brave before that, but it was dumb bravery, stumbling bravery, making half drunk moves like kissing her in the hallway because he had to show her how he always meant to kiss her, or carrying her like something out of a fairytale because he could see her slipping away from him like the whipping of her velvet hair through his fingers.

Green. He pressed onto the ignition just as her eyes opened, and she offered him a weak smile. He smiled back. Green is for go, after all. Then it all made sense.

He was brave because she was first. There were tears in her eyes and he heard them in her voice, too, and under the tears he heard her begging him to stay, in the car park of some fancy hotel in the middle of the night. Stay with her. Nick wondered just for a minute what the fuck had happened to the universe, how the fuck was a girl like Jess crying over a dumb idiot like him. And then she was waiting for him, pleading with her eyes for him to answer her. Before he realised what he was doing, he was walking toward her with purpose, being brave and chasing her, chasing this girl that was insanely beautiful, and far too good for him. It was different than the other times because this time he was thinking of the consequences. He was thinking of her hand in his and kissing her awake and infinite moments with her that dangled in front on him almost (almost) in reach. He stretched out his fingers-

"Nick, you missed the turn in for the loft." Jess mumbled sleepily, now sitting upright and leaning between the space of the two drivers chairs. Nick started, slamming on the brakes causing Jess to yelp loudly and hit him on the shoulder.

"Jeeze, Miller, are you trying to kill us?" She gasped, hand resting on her heart. But Nick wasn't listening to any of it, instead he spun in his seat and took her face in both hands, staring directly into her face. The only sound in the car was Jess' laboured breathing and the hum of the engine.

"Why'd you end it, Jess?" Nick asked abruptly, causing Jess' nose to flare and eyes narrow in anger.

"What?" She yelled, wrenching her face free. "Me? I didn't end it if you recall Miller! That was all down to..."

"This morning, Jess!" Nick bellowed back, immediately reciprocating her fury. "You said you wanted to be friends. Well, that sounds like ending it to me!"

"This morning we weren't in a relationship, Nicholas!" Jess said, moving to throw her bag over her shoulder, Nick twisted in his seat to face her more fully. "This morning, we were having sex. Meaningless-"

"Don't give me that damn crap, Jessica." Nick spat back at her angrily. "It meant something and you know it!" Jess sneered.

"It meant nothing to me, if it meant something to you.."

"Of course it meant something to me, you idiot! I'm in love with you!" Silence. Jess squeaked and cast her face downwards, as Nick remained motionless, blinking rapidly. Did that really just happen? Nick couldn't tell. The air was too thick. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think he couldn't think he couldn't think.

"Real classy, Nick." Jess said, and Nick's heart ached at the sadness in her voice. "Real nice. It took you a year to say it and it's now you choose to? NOW? When in in a damn ripped dress that barely covers my ass and my blood is like, 95% vodka cranberry?"Nick couldn't look at her.

"I've loved you for a very long time." Nick said, softly. "I'm sorry it took so long Jess, I'm sorry-"

"You couldn't have just said it back to me last June when I wanted you to?" She whispered, one hand poised on the handle of the door. Nick shook his head. "Saved breaking my heart?"

With that she opened the car door and took off down the street to the loft, unsteady on her feet. Nick leapt to the car door and wrenched it open. "Jess, wait! I love you!" Jess paused and turned to him a little sadly, a soft smile on her face. She took one step closer to him, reaching a hand to his face.

"I know you do, Nicholas. I've always known. But that isn't going to make it all better."

"What will, Jess? I'm sorry. I need you, Jess. I miss you. I messed up. What can I...?"

"Figure it out, Nick." Jess said, turning away from him once again. "I'm not a bandage. I'm not a remedy. I'm a person. A person, Nick. So once you've fixed yourself, stop being so damn self destructive." She took a deep breath. "Then... then we'll figure it out."

* * *

Mwahahahaha cliffhanger! This was only short because I'm frantically trying to update all my ongoing stories today *hyperventilates* Thank you and please R&R!


End file.
